Sale: Triton IX, Lot: 12. Estimate $750.  Closing Date: Monday, 9 January 2006.  Sold For $1700. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

BOIOTIA, Federal Coinage. 395-387 BC. AR Stater (12.00 g). Boiotian shield / Amphora with ornate design below fluting; above, dolphin right; BO-IW across field; all within incuse concave circle. Head, Boeotia p. 77, pl. V, 11 = BMC p. 37, 49, pl. V, 15; Myron Hoard pl. E, 27 (same dies); SNG Cop. 167; Traité III p. 311, 369, pl. CCIV, 32. Rare symbol. Near EF, even grey tone with gold, blue, and red hues around the devices. ($750)

Ex Nomisma/Banque Populaire du Nord FPL June 1984, 86; R. Jameson Collection, 2484.

The dolphin on this die appears as if it is diving into the amphora.

An observant reader may notice the "die break" to the right of the amphora on the Jameson plate and wonder why it does not exist on this coin. Sometimes coins are tooled to remove such defects but this is not what happened here. The Jameson plates were photographed from casts and unfortunately this cast was defective: an interesting point to remember when working on a die study and something which can not happen today as all auction photography is direct from the coins themselves.